


From the First Note

by E_V_Roslyn



Series: #victuuriweek [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: #victuuriweek, AU, M/M, VictUuri, Yuri!!! on Ice AU, musical AU, musician au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9252473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E_V_Roslyn/pseuds/E_V_Roslyn
Summary: Day One (Feb 7th): FirstsAU Prompt- Other sports/careersMusician AU- Victor listens to Yuuri's piano playing for the first time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! I came back from a year-long fanfiction hiatus to participate in #victuuriweek! 
> 
> I found inspiration for this fanfic from this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26I1hs1bg3o  
> Go check out their other stuff! They're really good!

No one would have thought that the famous violinist, Victor Nikiforov would lose inspiration, let alone, Victor himself. 

It was a subtle change that only those he was closest to had noticed. It had begun after his most recent grand performance in the Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. As of now, he was in the process of creating a new piece that his fans were confident will be better than his last. 

Victor's student, Yuri Plisetsky, who was quickly mastering the cello, was the first to notice the change. Victor started spending more time at his desk, wasting away countless hours jotting away notes and drafts as nothing seemed to work for him anymore. He was more distant during practice sessions, which Victor tried to hide behind a false smile, but his pupil knew better and brought up in a conversation one day. 

"My purpose is to surprise my audience," Victor said in response. "If I can't do that, my career is over."

In a way, it was true. Victor's charming charisma and his unique way of enthralling the audience was a large contributor to his success as a musician and composer. With each new piece that was created, Victor had to start fresh over and over again, because if he were to build on top of what was already cemented, he would lose his audience's interest, and that was the last thing he wanted.

His peers, Mila and Georgi and his former tutor, Yakov, all tried to help him restore his original flair and passion for music. After weeks of trying practically everything they could think of, nothing seemed to help, and Victor remained lost.

It was one of those days where he remained shut in his house. He was at his desk with a radio by his side blaring music from his past performances. Crumpled papers overfilled the trash bin next to him, and half-filled music sheets and scribbled notes were laid out in front of him. He had been at this stage of the process much longer than he should have been, and without his usual spark of inspiration, he was stuck between multiple choices and had no idea which direction he should take his composition.

The sound of a dog barking broke his train of thought that had no destination in the first place. Victor heard his dog pawing at the door of the room he secluded himself in, and checking the time, he figured it was a good idea to take Makkachin out for a walk. He could use the distraction and the fresh air anyway.

Makkachin barked and jumped happily when Victor put on his leash and opened the front door of his house. It was always cold in Russia, and even though he was wearing a coat, gloves, and scarf, he could smell the saltiness of the ocean only a few miles away and had a strong desire to go out for a swim. Victor ignored that sudden urge and instead led his poodle towards a busy street that was bustling with people.

This is his favorite place in St. Petersburg to go shopping. The buildings on both sides of the seemingly-endless street were small, connected, and structurally identical, but many had signs and shopping windows to advertise what each store offered. This varied from groceries, jewelry, baked goods, bridal wear, antiques, and....

Victor stopped in front of one store in particular. It had been news for a while that a new music store would be opening here, and he was happy to see that it was finally in business. The sign above it read, "Yu-topia Katsuki" in both Russian and Japanese, which he thought was a strange name for a store that sold musical equipment. Since he needed more supplies anyway, Victor tied his dog's leash to a nearby bike rack and walked inside.

The interior of the store had a very foreign feel to it. It was as if he was suddenly transported to a completely different and unfamiliar part of the world entirely. Victor instantly took an appreciation towards it, as he was always interested in learning more about foreign cultures. Behind the counter stood an older, happy couple bearing Eastern-Asian features. Their name tags read "Hiroko" on the woman and "Toshiyo" on the man. Near them was a younger woman that bared resemblance to the couple carrying boxes in and out of a storage room.

Hiroko noticed Victor first and greeted him with a smile, "Welcome to our store," she spoke in slow, broken Russian. It was obvious she was new to the language. "Feel free to look around."

"Thank you," Victor said, taking a short, polite bow. "Did you just move here?"

"We did," her husband replied. "We immigrated here with our children from Japan. We had another family business back in Kyushu, but unfortunately, business was too slow for us to make a decent income, so now we started a new one here."

"Well, I'm sure this business will be much more successful," Victor promised. "There are plenty of avid musicians in St. Petersburg, so I'm positive you'll have the demand you need."

"Oh, we're sure of that too," the younger woman spoke. She had finished carrying boxes, and with those out of the way, Victor could see her nametag, which was labeled "Mari". "In fact, it was my brother's idea to come to Russia in the first place."

"I'll admit, we were hesitant about the decision, at first," Toshiyo chuckled. "But our boy was persistent."

Hiroko nodded in agreement and continued, "Ever since he was little, our Yuuri has dreamed of becoming a famous pianist. He spends countless hours practicing, and over the years, he has had plenty of support in our community to help him with his dream. Just last year, he finished studying abroad in the United States with a Bachelor's degree in music."

Victor listened with a sudden interest and curiosity, "If that's true, he must be very talented," he remarked. "What wanted him to come to Russia of all places?"

"The theaters," Mari answered. "The concert halls, Russia's reputation for performing arts, and the hot, older musicians he won't stop talking about."

"He's been insisting on coming here since it's his best chance to kickstart his career," Hiroko added. "As of now, he's a full-time piano instructor for anyone that's interested in learning. Do you play?"

The celebrity noted that the Japanese family seemed oblivious on who they were talking to, but he didn't bother to say anything too revealing. "I dabble," he said, which technically wasn't a lie. He knew how to play the piano very well. He just put a lot more effort into other instruments. "I mostly play the violin."

"Oh, that's lovely!" The older woman clasped her hands in joy. "Go ahead and take a look around our store, and if you want to talk to Yuuri, he should still be in the back room."

Victor thanked Hiroko again and walked towards the back room, taking his time to admire the store and everything inside. He stalled a while longer when he reached a section dedicated to string instruments. He was impressed by the variety the store had to offer, and the prices seemed pretty decent for cleaning and repair kits and accessories.  

He finally made his way to the door at the back of the store, and Victor noticed a flyer taped to the door that advertised Katsuki Yuuri's piano lessons. He hesitantly opened the door, not sure if he should have knocked. Victor entered a brightly-lit room with waxed-wooden flooring and bare walls. Half-opened boxes littered a corner of the room, some placed on top of foldable tables. Gentle piano playing could be heard inside, and Victor walked further into the room and looked past a corner to see a dashing, young man sitting in front of a large, grand piano. Victor recognized the classical tune and remained a safe distance behind the pianist to listen to his soft playing.

Beautiful was an understatement, and Victor wasn't just thinking about the music. He wasn't sure if the lighting had anything to do with it, but the Japanese man before him appeared to be radiating in beauty as his fingers glossed across the piano keys with a mixture of firmness and delicacy. He seemed completely lost in his own world and had no idea there was someone else in the room watching him.

Victor watched him play, completely unable to take his eyes off him. He wasn't sure what did it first, whether it was Yuuri's beautiful figure or his music, but either way, his current troubles were left completely forgotten, and in that moment, something entirely new and unexpected settled into Victor's heart that he couldn't quite place.

Before he even realized it, the song had ended and the acoustics of the room dissolved the last notes into a decrescendo. 

There was a short, awkward moment of silence that followed. Victor had suddenly remembered he shouldn't have been in the room eavesdropping on a total stranger, while said stranger must have just realized he wasn't alone. Yuuri stood up and turned around with wide eyes and a faint blush of embarrassment, showing his blue-framed glasses, rounded cheeks, and tousled raven hair. 

"I'm very sorry for coming in like this," Victor apologized in English, although, he was only somewhat sincere. "I should have knocked first.... You play the piano beautifully. You were playing 'Pavane pour une infante défunte', right? Ravel is one of my favorites to listen to." 

Yuuri remained quiet, but somehow, his shock had only grown at the sight of the other man. Victor stepped closer to him and continued, "Your name is Yuuri, right? Katsuki Yuuri? Your family told me quite a bit about you."

Still frozen in place, Yuuri kept staring in dumbstruck awe, "Y-You're Victor Nikiforov," he sputtered.

"I am..." Victor nodded.

"THE Victor Nikiforov!" Yuuri stressed. "Russia's best violinist and composer. You're THAT Victor Nikiforov!"

"I take it you're a fan?"

Yuuri placed his hands on his head, walking around in small circles as the current situation seemed to overwhelm him, "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be freaking out like this. God, I look so stupid right now. You're just so famous, and I've been a huge fan for years."

"Did you want an autograph? Or a picture?" Victor offered. He was used to this kind of attention after all.

"No!" Yuuri was quick to say. Victor noted that it hadn't looked like he wanted to come across as rude but was rather shy and impulsive in his words. "I, I just... I'm really surprised is all. I didn't expect someone like you to walk in here like this."

"And I wasn't expecting to be greeted with such beautiful playing," Victor smiled, "but I guess we were both in for a pleasant surprise today."

Yuuri rubbed his hand behind his head and laughed away his remaining nerves, "I suppose so..."

Victor walked towards the piano and absentmindedly ran his fingers over the smooth surface, "How long have you been practicing?"

"Fifteen years," Yuuri answered. "I can also play guitar. And drums..."

"And violin?"

The younger man smiled, "I love playing the violin. I've just always felt most comfortable playing the piano."

"I can see why. You play very well," Victor complimented. "It's beautiful..."

"You keep saying that," Yuuri noted. His eyes darted to the floor. "You don't have to lie to me. I can take criticism."

"I'm not lying. I wouldn't have said it if it weren't true," and Victor was being honest. It has been quite a while since he last came across such talent from a non-professional. Gears turned in his head as he thought of what to say next. "If you really want my criticism, you should play something else. I'd like to hear it."

Yuuri drew in a sharp breath and returned his gaze towards Victor, "You would?"

Victor answered by stepping away from the piano and gesturing the stool. The pianist seemed nervous, but he took his seat and used a small cloth to clean the keyboard. He took a couple deep breaths to compose himself and placed his fingers on the keys without pressing down, "Um... I've been working on a song. I spent a lot of time making this.... Will you listen to it?"

"Of course," Victor answered. He was excited to hear what Yuuri had created with his own mind and hands.

Another silent pause passed before the room was flooded with music again. The piece started out vibrantly and in a fast tempo, as were Yuuri's movements. Victor noticed how Yuuri seemed to subtly sway with the tune and sat somewhat crouched. The music stayed in a constant rhythm until a higher note was pressed and Yuuri paused. The music continued after the pianist moved his hand farther down the piano to hit a reverberating bass note.

The song picked up from there, and the hands creating it no longer remained confined to one section of the keyboard. Occasionally, Yuuri's left hand would reach over the other to hit the higher notes and back over to hit the lower notes. The song grew in energy as Yuuri's hands seemed to fly across the piano with a strong firmness, while at the same time, keeping the same sense of delicacy that Victor saw from the previous song. 

The music gradually picked up in a rhythmic volume until it was at a fortissimo. At this point, the piece was very lively and climactic, and Yuuri's movements reflected that. Victor couldn't stop watching even if he wanted to. Telling from the strangely relaxed look in Yuuri's eyes and the way his fingers flowed across the instrument, Victor knew that the pianist was pouring his heart and soul out into this song.

A sudden transition in the music changed the piece into a fortepiano, and with it, the mood had changed as well. It was slower, quieter, and much softer than before. It was as if someone was deep in thought during a pivotal point in their life... like that person was thinking of love. The love around them, the love they gave out and shared with others, and love in general. Victor couldn't interpret it in any other way. As he listened, the music grew into a gradual crescendo and picked up in fever. Yuuri's movements grew bolder and firmer, and, for a moment, it was as if the younger musician was the more experienced one in the room. 

Yuuri's hands seemed to bounce off the piano, and the music reflected his movements with a similar feel. If Victor were completely honest with himself, the piece wasn't perfect. On a rare occasion, Yuuri would slip up and hit a bad note. Sometimes the tempo would slightly change in a way that Victor didn't like, but even with those flaws, Yuuri's playing had a way of enthralling Victor in a way he had never known before. In a word, it was breathtaking.

The ending of the piece contained the same string of notes that played in the beginning, only much softer and grew slower in tempo. With one final chord, the song came to an end. Yuuri kept his fingers on that chord until the decrescendo faded away into silence.

Yuuri placed his hands in his lap and looked over to Victor, "So? How was it?"

Victor hummed and was quick to speak, "You had a shaky start, and near the end, your performance had gotten sloppy. You need more consistency with your tempo, and the part near the ending could use more forté."

The pianist nodded and took the criticism, "Right. I guess I have more practicing to do."

"You do," the violinist agreed. "But you were still amazing. Your performance was absolutely breathtaking, and I could feel every emotion you were experiencing being poured out into it. You have a lot of skill, Yuuri Katsuki. I'm impressed."

Yuuri lightened up at the compliment, "Thank you," he gazed back at the piano. "I'm still not done with this piece yet. It doesn't feel finished yet, but I'm not sure how I want to change it," he looked back at Victor. "I feel like it's missing something. What do you think it needs?"

"I couldn't tell you," Victor answered. "That's not for me to decide. It's your composition, after all. I'm sure you'll figure it out when the time is right."

"I sure hope so. I've been dreaming of being recognized for my songs," Yuuri confessed. "Actually, you were part of my inspiration for this one."

Victor's heart fluttered for a moment before returning back to Earth, "I'm flattered," he smiled. "As a matter of fact, I've been in need of inspiration myself," he sat down on the piano bench next to Yuuri and scooted in close to him. "How about I pay you back?"

"You want... me... to inspire you?" The younger man asked in shock, somewhat flustered by their sudden closeness. He laughed a little, as if interpreting Victor's statement as a joke. "How would that even be possible?"

"It's more than possible, Yuuri," Victor assured him. "In fact, I'm confident that we can both help each other out. Your composition needs something more, while I need inspiration to create a new piece that will blow my audience away. Why not work together?"

Victor offered his hand to Yuuri, who looked at it in a wide-eyed and opened-mouth awe. The violinist could only wish he knew what was going through the pianist's head as that moment. Yuuri finally made his decision and gave a confident nod and shook Victor's hand in earnest.

"Good," Victor said. "We'll start right away. But before anything else, I would like to know.... What did you title your piece?"

Yuuri blushed in embarrassment, "Oh, well... I'm still finalizing the title, but I want it to reflect my emotions on this piece. How about 'Yuuri on Love'?"

Victor nodded, "I'd say that's perfect."

In that moment, and for years to come, Victor knew that his life was about to change for the better.

**Author's Note:**

> That turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would, but oh well.
> 
> Just assume that after this, Yuuri and Victor travel around the world, perform in concerts and meet a wide variety of musicians and singers. In the end, Victor adds his violin to Yuuri's song, and Victor's award-winning piece is Duetto Stammi Vicino. Then they fall in love, get married, and adopt three kids and fifteen poodles. The end.


End file.
